Orthopristis chrysoptera
Pigfish
NS
G5
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Haemulidae (Grunts)
Orthopristis
Orthopristis chrysoptera (Pigfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Ovate or elliptical profile; dorsal and anal fin rays free of scales; dorsal profile of head slightly convex; nares close set; posterior margin of anterior naris expanded into an elongate flap; posterior naris small with fringed flap; jaw teeth villiform or setiform in a narrow band; preoperculum finely serrated; gill rakers on first arch 8 on upper limb and 12 or 13 on lower limb; head 31%–33% SL; snout length 12%–15% SL; eye diameter 6%–7% SL; upper jaw length 9%–10% SL; body depth 35%–37% SL; pectoral fin rays 17 to 19; dorsal fin shallowly notched with 12 or 13 spines and 15 or 16 rays; anal fin with 12 or 13 rays; caudal fin forked; scale rows between first dorsal fin spine and lateral line 10; between lateral line and first anal fin spine 19; lateral line scales 55 to 58
Light bluish gray dorsally shading to silvery ventrally with blue and orange spots on body scales forming oblique stripes; head with orange spots; fins yellowish bronze
Distribution
Western Atlantic from New Jersey and Bermuda to southern Gulf of Mexico
Throughout the Gulf of Mexico, including bays and estuaries
Habitat Associations
Shallow water over muddy and sandy bottoms
Bays and estuaries
Biology
Benthic crustaceans and ray-finned fishes
460 mm TL
Inhabits coastal waters, over sand and mud bottoms. Forms schools. Mainly nocturnal and non-burrowing. Feeds on crustaceans and smaller fishes. Undergoes seasonal migration as well as local nocturnal-diurnal foraging migrations (Ref. 25).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; mating system: monogamy; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Spawning may occur in open water just prior to inshore migration or in quiet inshore waters, such as harbors, estuaries, and inshore banks, but may begin on outer shores first. Pigfish spawn at dusk exclusively. In general, larger fish spawn first, with smaller ones spawning latest in the season.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2011-03-01. Resilience: Medium (K=0.18-0.46; tmax=4).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: public aquariums.
References
Hoese and Moore 1977
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Schaldach et al. 1997 (as O. poeyi)
Smith 1997
Vega-Cendejas et al. 1997
Castro-Aguirre et al. 1999
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Lindeman and Toxey 2002
Hoese and Moore 1998
Darcy, G.H. (1983) Synopsis of biological data on the pigfish, Orthopristis chrysoptera (Pisces: Haemulidae). FAO Fish. Synop. (134); NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS Circ. (449).
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Bowman, R.E., C.E. Stillwell, W.L. Michaels and M.D. Grosslein (2000) Food of northwest Atlantic fishes and two common species of squid. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NE 155, 138 p.
McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm (2005) Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. Vol. 2. Austin : University of Texas Press. viii+1004p.
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